Ability Editing

Hia all

I'm currently trying to change the effect, icon and text that it says when the status icon appear (like poison, auras and such)

I've extracted the .txt files from the mpq, and found the area where to change the skill in question (slow poison) but if I change something it doesn't show after importing the files to the map. Here is what I do, someone correct me:

1) Open Tech MPQ, Extracts NightElfAbilityStrings & Func.
2) Open the .txt files in readme and do a search for the skill I want to edit: Slow Poison
3) Edits the slow poison in Func.txt

// Slow poison
[Aspo]
Art=ReplaceableTextures\PassiveButtons\PASBTNSlowPoison.blp
Buttonpos=1,2

[Bspo]
Buffart=*SomeotherBLPFileIWantToShow*
Targetart=*TheMdlFileIWantToShowWhenUnitIsAffected*

4) After that, I open the Strings.txt

[Aspo]
Name=*ThatDisplaysInStatus*
Tip=*TipDisplay*
Ubertip="*EffectTextMatchingTheSkill."

[Bspo]
Bufftip=*NoIdeaWhatThisIs* <---

5) Then I import the files to my map, giving them the path:
units\NightElfAbilityStrings.txt
units\NightElfAbilityFunc.txt

Wich is the paths they have in the .MPQ

In game, it is changed...BUT:

The icon show is the sammy one
Missing_tooltip is shown as title
No description of the effect of the skill
No target art is shown

Ergo, nothing works :P What am I doing wrong ?!

Can you show us the location of these files as you have done with the .blp in *func.txt. The location here may not be correct and would lead to the result you've mentioned.

I take you you actually have something written here. Not sure what might be causing this...

This is what is displayed when you mouse over the buff icon (the small icon located at the bottom center of the UI where the unit stats are displayed.

First I just took a normal .blp, like the one of the paladin and put the path there.
[quoute]
I take you you actually have something written here. Not sure what might be causing this...[/quote]

Yes, I have the text there matching the skill, what it does to the unit.


There I did put the name of the skill itself...

My importing wasn't off either right ?...

Don't get this :P I'll just have to keep trying..?

dont use import/export editor in we it doesnt seem 2 work with slks/txt 4 abils atleast 4 me

What then ?!

I have gotten it to work for OrcAbilityStrings and OrcAbilityFunc... Is it a custom ability that you're trying to change or is it a modified existing ability?

Oh yeah and for the icons, tooltip, name, and model art of the actual Ability, you're better off using World Edit; just change the fields in the object editor.... the only reason to import the txt files is to change the Bufftips and Buff Icon.

I can't just change the effect that comes onto the target while under poison, that is in the .txt files.

It is a custom ability....based off slow poison...hmm

Ur saying something, what if, it HAS to be the original skill....I'll check it out..

It's mostly the effect that I want changed (don't want the green splat, want blood splat) The tool tips and icon isn't that important, but I want to do stuff right...

If it's a Custom Ability, then you have to make an additional entry in the AbilityStrings file using the four-character ability code of your ability... get it by checking in the object editor and displaying all values as raw data, then replace the "A" at the beginning with "B"

The entry should go right after

[Bspo]
Bufftip=Slow Poison

and it should look like:

[Four-character ability code]
Bufftip="Your Name Here"

That takes care of the Bufftip... but changing the Buffart and TargetArt the way you did should work, I think... I'd triple-check my paths - they might even be case-sensitive. And I'd do everything I possibly could do in the Object Editor.

Good luck; keep tweaking, I'm sure you'll get it